About WordSnooper.com

Cheater wearing cheaters? After Reymerswaele/ Wikimedia Commons People sometimes tell you you’re misusing a word and cite the Latin origin as proof. Don’t fall for the etymological fallacy. What a word means depends, not on its origin, but on how … Continue reading →

[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Terms that first appeared in print in 1915 reveal something about life a hundred years ago. Although the war in Europe left its mark on the lexicon, there are also signs of the changing times … Continue reading →

Love British courtroom dramas like “Rumpole of the Bailey,” “Kavanaugh, QC” and “Silk” but a bit muddled on the difference between a silk and a stipe? Get your ducks in a row here. (Thanks to former London solicitor Dana F. … Continue reading →

Photo Source Fancy a pudding wine? How about jugged hare and a side of rocket and baps? Bit of a muddle? No worries, luv. This glossary will set you right: http://mentalfloss.com/article/58701/28-keys-decoding-british-pub-menus

It’s easy to guess what an ancestor of someone named Cook, Carpenter, or Smith did for a living. With other occupational surnames, though, either the word or the trade has become obsolete, so the meaning is hidden. Can you guess … Continue reading →

Meta

"Lexie Kahn's" other identity is Judith B. Herman

Comment problem?

Have you tried to make a comment only to be told to log into your (nonexistent) Wordpress account? Make up a phony email to get in. Put your real email in the comment text if you wish. More info here:
http://tagn.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/the-wordpress-com-requiring-you-to-be-logged-in-to-comment-issue/